Table 1.
Characteristics of participants at baseline.
| CD (n = 43) | MD–HMF (n = 43) |
MD–PA (n = 42) |
p * | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Females (n; %) | 16 (37.2) | 14 (32.6) | 17 (40.5) | 0.875 |
| Females at menopause (n; %) |
10 (23.3) | 6 (14.0) | 7 (16.7) | 0.672 |
| Age (years) (mean ± SD) | 54.1 ± 8.9 | 52.3 ± 7.1 | 52.2 ± 5.8 | 0.648 |
| Currently smoking (n; %) |
5 (11.6) | 7 (16.3) | 4 (9.5) | 0.361 |
| Hypertension (n; %) | 14 (32.6) | 14 (32.6) | 8 (19.0) | 0.120 |
| T2DM (n; %) | 8 (18.6) | 10 (23.3) | 13 (31.0) | 0.268 |
| Hyperlipidemia (n; %) | 17 (39.5) | 18 (41.9) | 13 (31.0) | 0.683 |
| No physical activity (n; %) |
20 (46.5) | 20 (46.5) | 17 (40.5) | 0.988 |
Abbreviations: CD: Conventional Diet; MD–HMF: Mediterranean diet–high meal frequency; MD–PA: Mediterranean Diet–physical activity (control group); SD standard deviation; T2DM: type 2 diabetes mellitus. * Differences between groups: by ANOVA (quantitative variables) and by Chi-square (percentages).